Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hi all, In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked like I was abusing them!) So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that you guys might have some really useful suggestions. So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It should be EVOO) > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > to call social services! :-) > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all-night- > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > store!) > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > bit.) > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Well obviously eating fish is unhealthy - mercury, PCBDs, etc - all kinds of poisins in the oceans compounded the further up the food chain. Probably moreso than any other kind of meat. Most organic yogurt is vegetarian. If its not organic it is probably not vegetarian. You really have to check. since your kids eat fish they aren't really vegetarian so non-vegetarian yogurt would probably be okay. I think kosher gelatin is made from fish bone. And if it doesn't say kosher that'd be cow bone most likely. My child eats cereal, grits, waffles, fruit, and soy sausage for breakfast (not all at one time of course). For lunches she has a thermos - so vegetarian chili, beans or soups work well. We do hummus and veggies in pita bread. She will eat veggies (carrots, broccoli, etc) better with hummus on it. Sometimes we buy smartdeli slices and cut them in little triangles so she can eat them with crackers which is fun for a change once in a while. I hate PB & J but will let her have it if she begs for it. We also cut smartdogs up and bake in dough for little smarties in a blanket. They are much better when they are still warm but aren't so bad after they've been refrigerated. These are the main items for lunches. Normally she brings 2 kinds of fruit (grapes or strawberries in a small container, a banana, or those little cups of pineapples or peaches, applesauce, etc). And a yoghurt. I used to pack her cheerios they she would stir into her soy yoghurt but she outgrew that phase and doesn't eat cheerios at all anymore. Then I give her a snack like pretzels or animal crackers or something. For dinners we eat a lot of mexican type dishes that we vegetarianize. In college we had taco bar where we would use beans instead of meat to make tacos and that kind of stuck with how my hubby and I make a lot of the things we eat. we also use meat substitutes in place of meat in mexican style recipes. Other quick things you can cook for them: pierogies, vegetable lasagna (like Amy's brand), my father-in-law makes a penne where he boils the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in with the penne, drains and then adds an alfredo sauce over it. we modify it some to make other dishes with different types of pasta, sauces and veggies. The main thing is to make sure your kids are getting a balance of the new four food groups - grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables - and their diets aren't lagging in any one area. Renee Kara Keeter <karakeeter wrote: Hi all, In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked like I was abusing them!) So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that you guys might have some really useful suggestions. So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It should be EVOO) > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > to call social services! :-) > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all-night- > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > store!) > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > bit.) > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 I'd definitely suggest more vegetables and less dairy. As for protein, fish is often contaminated with mercury and God only knows what else, so something like quinoa would be a good high-protein food for them. Quinoa is awesome times a hundred. You can use it in place of rice in just about anything, and I personally like the taste of it more than rice. With the vegetables, try preparing them different ways so they'll eat them. Dips of any sort are great fun. I personally think ranch dressing was invented in hell by the devil himself, but my kids love the stuff. They'll eat any type of vegetable I give them if there's ranch dressing. Hot sauce is another favorite. Anything with hot sauce is good. Beans are a super snack too. I buy canned beans, organic when I can find them, and I rinse them in a colander and we all snack on them. I don't even bother with heating them. Sometimes after I rinse them I put them in the blender and voila, bean dip. A little garlic salt is good in it too. I'd cut back a little on the processed fake meat stuff. I too LOVE it, I could eat nothing but the " ficken fuggets " (we start every type of fake meat with " f " for " fake " , and boy do we get some weird looks in the store) and barbecue sauce. And those corndogs... oh geez, now I'm hungry!! But since they're so highly processed we try to avoid them mostly. They're a great treat, and a must-have for my husband. He's not entirely vegetarian but he is at home, so the fake meat has made his transition much easier. But for the rest of us we may eat it with a meal now and then and that's pretty much it. Tofu would be the exception to that since it's not really " processed. " Kara Keeter <karakeeter wrote: Hi all, In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked like I was abusing them!) So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that you guys might have some really useful suggestions. So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It should be EVOO) > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > to call social services! :-) > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all-night- > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > store!) > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > bit.) > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 I think that if they eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies and if the breads and pasta are whole grain, then you are doing find. You may want to speak with a nutitionist who is veg-friendly Kara Keeter <karakeeter wrote: Hi all, In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked like I was abusing them!) So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that you guys might have some really useful suggestions. So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It should be EVOO) > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > to call social services! :-) > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all-night- > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > store!) > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > bit.) > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 18, 2007 Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 I would limit fish, since the contaminates and all. If your not opposed to cheese I would not worry about the protein fix. Have you tried a chili sauce ( preferably with tomato ) beans and rice with or without cheese on it? I second quinona, but find it difficult to find unless I drive 20 minutes out of the way to the health food store. Remember corn is a grain too.. so you can mix it with beans and carrots and you get colorful salad thing you can serve either hot or cold with various spices. Chili spices or just salt and pepper. I tend to stay away from the processed stuff. I am not a big fan of Morning star, although they seem ok. And they do taste good. But am personally opposed to fake meat look alikes. I mean.. if it looks like meat are we sending a mixed signal? Like the kids are missing something, so we have to provide them with a look alike? We are lacto ova. Our typical almost daily breakfast consists of yogurt or cottage cheese, a vegan bagel with nothing on it, chopped nuts ( almond pecan and walnut) and a fruit or two. Lunch maybe steel cut oatmeal with a fruit cooked in a variety of ways. Or grits with a fruit. Or even barley and veggies. Frozen mixed veggies omelet like thing ( think Egg foo young with less egg and more veggies.. cabbage too. ) Dinner is sometimes skillet chili ( broccoli and spinach with chili beans and whole wheat spaghetti) Or mixed squash veggies drizzled in olive oil and garlic with quinona. I have also made several combinations with barley or bulger and various veggies. This may not work for everyone . Steph " We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. " C.S. Lewis Kara Keeter <karakeeter@cableone <karakeeter%40cableone.net> ..net> wrote: Hi all, In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked like I was abusing them!) So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that you guys might have some really useful suggestions. So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It should be EVOO) > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > to call social services! :-) > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all-night- > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > store!) > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > bit.) > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 18, 2007 Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 Personally, I don't think the diet sounds too scary at all, but I would agree with the poster who mentioned the dangers in eating fish. Even the FDA admits that almost all fish has levels of mercury in it. I have a pamphlet from them about it. My almost 4 year old is a bread addict also. She has a very limited diet, but I'm not terribly worried about it. There are days when I'm happy that she eats at all, because food is just not that interesting to her. She's always been this way. If she doesn't like what we're eating, she just doesn't eat. To me, as a parent, this is a huge thing, but not to her. So, I've gotten to where I make sure that I have foods on hand that I know she will eat, and that I know are healthful for her. Her diet of fresh foods is very limited: carrots, cauliflower, some fruits. She refuses all cooked veggies. Still, I know that when she eats whole grain breads or real brown rice, she's still getting iron, protein and more just from that source, so even if she makes a whole meal of that, she won't be undernourished. I do give her a vitamin (vegetarian, of course) to make sure that she's making up for the lack of veggies, and we encourage her to try to new foods all the time. Sometimes, she does and sometimes she doesn't. It sounds like your boys are open to eating quite a variety of foods, which is a wonderful basis for any diet. My note to you, Kara, is not to let other people influence too greatly what you feed your children. Do your own research to learn about what is best for your children to eat. Families who eat meat (generally) usually just feed their kids what they were taught to eat growing up, so they think that we as vegetarians have to do all this weird research to make sure we're eating right. The truth is that whatever we feed our children, we should all be doing research to make sure we're eating right. If I feed my children the same diet I had growing up, then I'm resigning them to expect the same " acceptable " diseases that my parents expect/have (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.). I have a much bigger speech coming from the soapbox on that, but I'm sure most of you already know it. Have fun with your 5 year old boys. I'm sure they're adorable...and healthy. , Kara Keeter <karakeeter wrote: > > Hi all, > > In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two > vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my > mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked > like I was abusing them!) > > So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they > eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they > eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a > sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that > you guys might have some really useful suggestions. > > So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm > doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut > butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It > should be EVOO) > > > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > > to call social services! :-) > > > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all-night- > > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > > store!) > > > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > > bit.) > > > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 Thanks, everyone, for the feedback! Some of the ideas, like the hummus, are things that we do or used to do, but I sometimes forget about them and they are out of our rotation for a bit, until someone reminds me of them again. Hummus is a particular favorite. They tend to love something for a month or two, then hate it... after a few months they might like it again, if I can remember to try it again. So, thanks for all the ideas, and for the reassurances! On Jul 18, 2007, at 4:23 PM, thefourlakes wrote: > Personally, I don't think the diet sounds too scary at all, but I > would agree with the poster who mentioned the dangers in eating fish. > Even the FDA admits that almost all fish has levels of mercury in it. > I have a pamphlet from them about it. > > My almost 4 year old is a bread addict also. She has a very limited > diet, but I'm not terribly worried about it. > There are days when I'm happy that she eats at all, because food is > just not that interesting to her. She's always been this way. If she > doesn't like what we're eating, she just doesn't eat. To me, as a > parent, this is a huge thing, but not to her. > So, I've gotten to where I make sure that I have foods on hand that I > know she will eat, and that I know are healthful for her. Her diet of > fresh foods is very limited: carrots, cauliflower, some fruits. She > refuses all cooked veggies. Still, I know that when she eats whole > grain breads or real brown rice, she's still getting iron, protein and > more just from that source, so even if she makes a whole meal of that, > she won't be undernourished. I do give her a vitamin (vegetarian, of > course) to make sure that she's making up for the lack of veggies, and > we encourage her to try to new foods all the time. Sometimes, she does > and sometimes she doesn't. It sounds like your boys are open to > eating quite a variety of foods, which is a wonderful basis for any > diet. > > My note to you, Kara, is not to let other people influence too greatly > what you feed your children. Do your own research to learn about what > is best for your children to eat. > Families who eat meat (generally) usually just feed their kids what > they were taught to eat growing up, so they think that we as > vegetarians have to do all this weird research to make sure we're > eating right. The truth is that whatever we feed our children, we > should all be doing research to make sure we're eating right. > If I feed my children the same diet I had growing up, then I'm > resigning them to expect the same " acceptable " diseases that my > parents expect/have (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.). > > I have a much bigger speech coming from the soapbox on that, but I'm > sure most of you already know it. > > Have fun with your 5 year old boys. I'm sure they're adorable...and > healthy. > > , Kara Keeter <karakeeter wrote: > > > > Hi all, > > > > In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two > > vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my > > mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked > > like I was abusing them!) > > > > So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example > they > > eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they > > eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a > > sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that > > you guys might have some really useful suggestions. > > > > So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, > I'm > > doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut > > butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It > > should be EVOO) > > > > > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > > > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm > hoping > > > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my > desire > > > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one > likes > > > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > > > to call social services! :-) > > > > > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > > > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest > kid- > > > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it > gets > > > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > > > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all- > night- > > > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > > > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > > > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. > They > > > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > > > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > > > > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not > totally > > > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > > > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate > meat > > > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they > wanted to > > > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of > rice and > > > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > > > > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade > yogurt > > > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > > > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > > > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things > from the > > > store!) > > > > > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he > eats > > > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > > > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > > > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > > > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > > > bit.) > > > > > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and > then > > > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2007 Report Share Posted July 22, 2007 Thanks for the great ideas! We don't have sushi too often, sometimes as much as once a week but sometimes only once a month. Usually one kid only eats the non-fish - the edamame, the tempura, and the rice. He takes these expensive pieces of sushi, and takes the fish off and eats the rice that we could have fixed for pennies! Oh well. The other kid eats the fish pieces. They also take apart the rolls and eat the seaweed. Anyone have a way we could incorporate more of that seaweed in our meals? You can buy it, right? Isn't it good for you? Quinona, I'll try that. I am a sourdough fanatic, so I would just love trying a new grain! On the sourdough group someone just posted a recipe using millet, they said it should have more protein. Anyone here know about that? No to the rice and beans, they refuse every attempt. They will eat sushi rice - and yes I sometimes fix it without buying the sushi, but I would prefer more whole grain rice. I try to limit " white " foods - white flour, white rice, white sugar, etc - meaning over-processed. They tend to not like combined foods - like recipes. They like " food objects " - an apple, a strawberry, a carrot, an edamame bean... so something that looks like a " chicken " nugget or a hot dog doesn't look " combined " to them, and they are more likely to eat it than the best tasting rice-and-bean recipe. -Kara On Jul 17, 2007, at 7:26 PM, RnScarlson wrote: > I would limit fish, since the contaminates and all. If your not > opposed > to cheese I would not worry about the protein fix. Have you tried a > chili sauce ( preferably with tomato ) beans and rice with or without > cheese on it? > > I second quinona, but find it difficult to find unless I drive 20 > minutes out of the way to the health food store. Remember corn is a > grain too.. so you can mix it with beans and carrots and you get > colorful salad thing you can serve either hot or cold with various > spices. Chili spices or just salt and pepper. > > I tend to stay away from the processed stuff. I am not a big fan of > Morning star, although they seem ok. And they do taste good. But am > personally opposed to fake meat look alikes. I mean.. if it looks like > meat are we sending a mixed signal? Like the kids are missing > something, > so we have to provide them with a look alike? > > We are lacto ova. Our typical almost daily breakfast consists of > yogurt > or cottage cheese, a vegan bagel with nothing on it, chopped nuts ( > almond pecan and walnut) and a fruit or two. > > Lunch maybe steel cut oatmeal with a fruit cooked in a variety of > ways. > Or grits with a fruit. Or even barley and veggies. Frozen mixed > veggies > omelet like thing ( think Egg foo young with less egg and more > veggies.. > cabbage too. ) > > Dinner is sometimes skillet chili ( broccoli and spinach with chili > beans and whole wheat spaghetti) Or mixed squash veggies drizzled in > olive oil and garlic with quinona. > > I have also made several combinations with barley or bulger and > various > veggies. > This may not work for everyone . > > Steph > > " We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means > doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, > the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. " > C.S. Lewis > > > Kara Keeter <karakeeter@cableone <karakeeter%40cableone.net> > .net> wrote: Hi all, > > In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two > vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my > mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked > like I was abusing them!) > > So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they > eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they > eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a > sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that > you guys might have some really useful suggestions. > > So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm > doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut > butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It > should be EVOO) > > > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > > to call social services! :-) > > > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all- > night- > > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > > store!) > > > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > > bit.) > > > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 You can try making your own vegi burgers and loaves - they can also be breaded and fried, and made to look like nugget type things - like this one (and it uses brown rice!) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30859,00.html I'm sure it can be baked instead of fried if you limit their fats -but I tend to just pan fry with a little canola oil (as it's one of the better ones for you). As far as anything else - I make my own quinoa/millet/oat/soy flour, just buy them whole and pulverize in a blender or food processor. It's quite easy, and a lot less expensive than the pre-made flours. We buy ours in the bulk bins usually so they're organic, too. Tofu is very versatile, too, and we've made something like 'chikn nuggets' with TVP (also with tofu baked in the oven). I've seen recipes on www.vegweb.com, for those. They also have a section for 'kid friendly' recipes (or at least last time I recall looking specifically for it they did) Anything for the reduction in eating meat is a good step in the right direction, in my book. It's not a vegetarian diet, but it is largely vegetarian based as others have said. We started out like that long long ago it seems. Sometimes it's easier to start that way by eliminating groups at a time. We are now vegan, so it was a long journey to get here, but we feel it was completely worth it. Keep up the good work, if they truly want to be vegetarian, let them know they should stop eating all animals. They might not be as resistant as you think. My son and husband are ovo-vegetarians, but since I do all the cooking they are vegan at home. They are getting to where they don't really want to include eggs when we go out (which we rarely do anyway, so it's more like they are occasionally/rarely ovo-veg. Not me though, I never ever could stand eggs anyway, LOL). Missie On 7/22/07, Kara Keeter <karakeeter wrote: > > Thanks for the great ideas! > > We don't have sushi too often, sometimes as much as once a week but > sometimes only once a month. Usually one kid only eats the non-fish > - the edamame, the tempura, and the rice. He takes these expensive > pieces of sushi, and takes the fish off and eats the rice that we > could have fixed for pennies! Oh well. The other kid eats the fish > pieces. They also take apart the rolls and eat the seaweed. > > Anyone have a way we could incorporate more of that seaweed in our > meals? You can buy it, right? Isn't it good for you? > > Quinona, I'll try that. I am a sourdough fanatic, so I would just > love trying a new grain! On the sourdough group someone just posted > a recipe using millet, they said it should have more protein. Anyone > here know about that? > > No to the rice and beans, they refuse every attempt. They will eat > sushi rice - and yes I sometimes fix it without buying the sushi, but > I would prefer more whole grain rice. I try to limit " white " foods - > white flour, white rice, white sugar, etc - meaning over-processed. > They tend to not like combined foods - like recipes. They like " food > objects " - an apple, a strawberry, a carrot, an edamame bean... so > something that looks like a " chicken " nugget or a hot dog doesn't > look " combined " to them, and they are more likely to eat it than the > best tasting rice-and-bean recipe. > > -Kara > > > On Jul 17, 2007, at 7:26 PM, RnScarlson wrote: > > > I would limit fish, since the contaminates and all. If your not > > opposed > > to cheese I would not worry about the protein fix. Have you tried a > > chili sauce ( preferably with tomato ) beans and rice with or without > > cheese on it? > > > > I second quinona, but find it difficult to find unless I drive 20 > > minutes out of the way to the health food store. Remember corn is a > > grain too.. so you can mix it with beans and carrots and you get > > colorful salad thing you can serve either hot or cold with various > > spices. Chili spices or just salt and pepper. > > > > I tend to stay away from the processed stuff. I am not a big fan of > > Morning star, although they seem ok. And they do taste good. But am > > personally opposed to fake meat look alikes. I mean.. if it looks like > > meat are we sending a mixed signal? Like the kids are missing > > something, > > so we have to provide them with a look alike? > > > > We are lacto ova. Our typical almost daily breakfast consists of > > yogurt > > or cottage cheese, a vegan bagel with nothing on it, chopped nuts ( > > almond pecan and walnut) and a fruit or two. > > > > Lunch maybe steel cut oatmeal with a fruit cooked in a variety of > > ways. > > Or grits with a fruit. Or even barley and veggies. Frozen mixed > > veggies > > omelet like thing ( think Egg foo young with less egg and more > > veggies.. > > cabbage too. ) > > > > Dinner is sometimes skillet chili ( broccoli and spinach with chili > > beans and whole wheat spaghetti) Or mixed squash veggies drizzled in > > olive oil and garlic with quinona. > > > > I have also made several combinations with barley or bulger and > > various > > veggies. > > This may not work for everyone . > > > > Steph > > > > " We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means > > doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, > > the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. " > > C.S. Lewis > > > > > > Kara Keeter <karakeeter@cableone <karakeeter% <karakeeter%25> > 40cableone.net> > > .net> wrote: Hi all, > > > > In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two > > vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my > > mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked > > like I was abusing them!) > > > > So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they > > eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they > > eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a > > sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that > > you guys might have some really useful suggestions. > > > > So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm > > doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut > > butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It > > should be EVOO) > > > > > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > > > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > > > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > > > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > > > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > > > to call social services! :-) > > > > > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > > > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > > > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > > > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > > > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all- > > night- > > > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > > > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > > > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > > > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > > > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > > > > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > > > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > > > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > > > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > > > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > > > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > > > > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > > > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > > > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > > > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > > > store!) > > > > > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > > > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > > > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > > > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > > > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > > > bit.) > > > > > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > > > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 I like Dulse when I can get it. You can make DLT salads – you can use it in soup. Its good. Steph “We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. " C.S. Lewis On Behalf Of Kara Keeter Sunday, July 22, 2007 4:09 PM Re: how does this diet sound? Thanks for the great ideas! We don't have sushi too often, sometimes as much as once a week but sometimes only once a month. Usually one kid only eats the non-fish - the edamame, the tempura, and the rice. He takes these expensive pieces of sushi, and takes the fish off and eats the rice that we could have fixed for pennies! Oh well. The other kid eats the fish pieces. They also take apart the rolls and eat the seaweed. Anyone have a way we could incorporate more of that seaweed in our meals? You can buy it, right? Isn't it good for you? Quinona, I'll try that. I am a sourdough fanatic, so I would just love trying a new grain! On the sourdough group someone just posted a recipe using millet, they said it should have more protein. Anyone here know about that? No to the rice and beans, they refuse every attempt. They will eat sushi rice - and yes I sometimes fix it without buying the sushi, but I would prefer more whole grain rice. I try to limit " white " foods - white flour, white rice, white sugar, etc - meaning over-processed. They tend to not like combined foods - like recipes. They like " food objects " - an apple, a strawberry, a carrot, an edamame bean... so something that looks like a " chicken " nugget or a hot dog doesn't look " combined " to them, and they are more likely to eat it than the best tasting rice-and-bean recipe. -Kara On Jul 17, 2007, at 7:26 PM, RnScarlson wrote: > I would limit fish, since the contaminates and all. If your not > opposed > to cheese I would not worry about the protein fix. Have you tried a > chili sauce ( preferably with tomato ) beans and rice with or without > cheese on it? > > I second quinona, but find it difficult to find unless I drive 20 > minutes out of the way to the health food store. Remember corn is a > grain too.. so you can mix it with beans and carrots and you get > colorful salad thing you can serve either hot or cold with various > spices. Chili spices or just salt and pepper. > > I tend to stay away from the processed stuff. I am not a big fan of > Morning star, although they seem ok. And they do taste good. But am > personally opposed to fake meat look alikes. I mean.. if it looks like > meat are we sending a mixed signal? Like the kids are missing > something, > so we have to provide them with a look alike? > > We are lacto ova. Our typical almost daily breakfast consists of > yogurt > or cottage cheese, a vegan bagel with nothing on it, chopped nuts ( > almond pecan and walnut) and a fruit or two. > > Lunch maybe steel cut oatmeal with a fruit cooked in a variety of > ways. > Or grits with a fruit. Or even barley and veggies. Frozen mixed > veggies > omelet like thing ( think Egg foo young with less egg and more > veggies.. > cabbage too. ) > > Dinner is sometimes skillet chili ( broccoli and spinach with chili > beans and whole wheat spaghetti) Or mixed squash veggies drizzled in > olive oil and garlic with quinona. > > I have also made several combinations with barley or bulger and > various > veggies. > This may not work for everyone . > > Steph > > " We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means > doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, > the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. " > C.S. Lewis > > > Kara Keeter <karakeeter@cableone <karakeeter%40cableone.net> > .net> wrote: Hi all, > > In case you don't remember, I am a non-vegetarian parent of two > vegetarian 5 year old boys - their choice. (You should've seen my > mom's face when I told her the kids were now vegetarian - she looked > like I was abusing them!) > > So their being vegetarian is not incredibly strict - for example they > eat seafood and dairy. But I recently posted a summary of what they > eat, to the sourdough newsgroup (justifying my request for a > sourdough recipe for corn-dog breading), and it occurred to me that > you guys might have some really useful suggestions. > > So here it is, I welcome your comments but please don't lynch me, I'm > doing the best I can even if we aren't strictly vegan. (PB = peanut > butter; EEOV = extra virgin olive oil - ok so I can't spell!!! It > should be EVOO) > > > Yes, we've bought a lot of MorningStar stuff - they love the corn > > dogs (me too, those are *yummy*!!!) but they are pricey, I'm hoping > > tofu dogs without the corn-dog breading are cheaper, hence my desire > > for the recipe. They don't like the burgers much, although one likes > > the " chicken " nuggets. So we're not totally starving them, no need > > to call social services! :-) > > > > Right now most of their lunches are PB and honey (on store-bought > > multi-grain bread *shudder*). Dinners, we place the healthiest kid- > > friendly things we can think of in front of them, sometimes it gets > > eaten. Breakfasts are cereal when we're rushed, but when time > > allows, it is sourdough pancakes or oatmeal, esp. steel-cut all- > night- > > in-the-crock-pot oatmeal. They pretty much gobble up anything > > sourdough - french bread with EEOV and balsamic vinegar dipping > > sauce; flax seed bread; pancakes; Amish friendship bread; etc. They > > eat a lot of fresh fruit. Occasionally they will consume the > > carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans we provide, but not often. > > > > I dated an Italian vegetarian for several years, so I am not totally > > ignorant. (The Italian part is relevant - it means he was an > > excellent cook and so did most of the cooking! I.e., I only ate meat > > when we went out to a restaurant.) When the kids said they wanted to > > stop eating meat, I told them vegetarians must eat a lot of rice and > > beans. They went along with that a couple of weeks. > > > > They eat a lot of dairy - cheese and yogurt. I make homemade yogurt > > that I'm addicted to, but the men in the house refuse to touch it. > > They eat store-bought. (DH *knew* I was a Birkenstock-wearing > > granola when we married, I dunno why he keeps buying things from the > > store!) > > > > Yep, one of them could be a bread-atarian, a lot of days all he eats > > is carbs - bread, pasta, etc. I'm glad to hear your D survived on > > PB. They like the PB and honey sandwiches, although the carb-lover > > merely tolerates the PB part. (I'm from Georgia, but I'm weird - I > > can't stand PB, not even the smell, so I guess he takes after me a > > bit.) > > > > They don't mind seafood, in fact they LOVE sushi! Every now and then > > we get sushi to make sure they get a big protein fix. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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